Shazam (2019)

Billy's a Nazi now?

He does have an enemy literally named Captain Nazi.

The Rock would be an excellent Black Adam I think. He's got the look, he's got the acting chops.

But I'm glad they're saving Black Adam for later, since he's such a charismatic villain that he might overshadow Billy in his first film.

Agree. We can save Black Adman and Kahndaq for another time. Instead it will be about Captain Marvel taking on his recurring foe Dr. Sivanna . . . amusingly played by Mark Strong who was Sinestro in that infamous Green Lantern movie.

Something tells me we are getting the Lex Luthor we wanted in this movie than the actual Superman movie. Kind of makes since seeing how Luthor borrow a lot of the mad scientist motives from Sivanna (or am I thinking of Ultra Humanite).

I'm looking forward to it. :)

Ultra Humanite and Sivana were both mad scientists before Luthor who started out simply as more of a corrupt businessman. I think it was actually Norman Osborn (Green Goblin) over at Marvel who was the first to combine the two tropes but Luthor has since taken the idea and run with it. It will be interesting to see how Sivana works as a villain as from the trailer they are playing up the goofy, light hearted aspects of the Big Red Cheese so having a really nasty vicious baddie could either really work well or be awful tbh.

Luthor started out as more of a Bond-style scientist supervillain (making/stealing superweapons and then using them to ransom the world and such), then became a more traditional mad scientist in the Silver Age. He didn't become a corrupt businessman until after the Silver Age.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Jul 22nd 2018 at 9:32:47 AM

I never read a single story involving Dr Sivana but one look at him and his date of creation and I know he is one of the classic original Mad Scientist club members.

Yeah Sivana is classic Mad Scientist in a way Luthor never really was.

His new backstory might explain why he can actually catch Shazam's punch though.

Silver Age Luthor and Sivana were actually nigh-indistinguishable. Luthor was basically a fitter and more handsome Sivana.

Speaking of which, as much as I like Mark Strong, I still would prefer Sivana to look like a malnourish goblin. Given that this movie seems to be mostly adapted from the New 52 version, perhaps we will get that eventually.

Honestly I haven't been at all interested in any of the DC movies that have come out since Man of Steel; the trailers just didn't grab me and the reviews cemented my distaste. Shazam is a breath of fresh air in that regard - it's the first DC film I've actually wanted to see in years.

(EDIT: Actually, I'm just now remembering that I really liked Wonder Woman. Still, I only gave it a chance after all the positive word of mouth; like I said the trailers completely failed to grab me.)

I believe our own page on Shazam talks about how even during the The Dark Age Of Comic Books Billy Batson always remained an upbeat little ray of sunshine, and I feel like this new movie is doing exactly that for the current DC Cinematic Universe.

Edited by Dirtyblue929 on Jul 23rd 2018 at 7:29:07 AM

Zachary Levi himself even commented recently that Billy Batson remaining kind and optimistic in a world where the events of Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman also happened just makes him even more cool.

Yeah I like Sivana best as a little goblin man.

Hope he becomes more like one as the movie continues. I also wish it was not so based on the Nu 52 version.

I've always liked the Marvel family as a bunch of kids with screwed up lives who nevertheless maintain optimism and unambiguous kindness. They're like the flipside of the Bat family.

As Nu 52 Billy and the trainwreck that was pre-Nu 52's "let's turn Mary Marvel into a Sith" debacle shows, making those adorable kids darker and gloomier never works out.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Jul 23rd 2018 at 11:40:53 AM

In all fairness, New 52 Billy wasn't really that dark and even his more cynical personality really only lasted 2 - 3 issues.

I have no defense for what was done to Mary pre-Flashpoint.

Edited by windleopard on Jul 23rd 2018 at 11:47:12 AM

Admittedly, I was thinking more "gloomier" for Nu 52 Billy and "darker" for pre-Nu 52 Mary. Should've made that clearer.

Strong's Sivana does seem to give the impression of being quite dour and humorless, which I hope won't be the case in the actual movie. The appeal of Sivana lies the in the fact that he's pretty much the Saturday Morning Cartoon Villain to Billy's Saturday Morning Cartoon Hero. Sivana is a cackling Mad Scientist stereotype given life, and he loves being evil because evil is fun.

"Dour and humorless nemesis" should be Black Adam's thing, let Sivana be a fun character that you Love to Hate.

Edited by Nightwire on Jul 24th 2018 at 9:19:47 AM

"Silver Age Luthor and Sivana were actually nigh-indistinguishable. Luthor was basically a fitter and more handsome Sivana. "

Well considering this lex is closer to is silver age bend(more a mad scientist, petty reason for goes against superman,etc), maybe Sivana should be humorless, it work better against Billy who so far seen to be very ben10 kind of guy "superhero is a duty and everything but is also AWSOME!"

I actually really like the idea of Sivana being dour and humorless here, because if he is a cynic that takes himself way too seriously he makes a very severe and important foil to our bright, bright hero. And the amount of jokes you could have at the rest of the DCEU's expense is endless. I also definitely approve of him being a physical match for Shazam.

Yeah but if Sivana is a mad scientist and a physical match for Billy, then that diminishes what Black Adam brings to the table.

Especially since this new Sivana's origin already steps on Black Adam's toes.

Yeah but that just takes everything that Black Adam does. There is no point to it.

Ok....is just me, or the trailer music was off? I mean, it make the trailer look waaaaaay more serious that it should.

The score, or the Kendrick Lamar song? Cause the score didn't seem that serious to me and "Humble" really just...isn't.

The first part until he get with the weird gandalf like figure(who I guess i the wizard).

That's the joke. It's playing on the expectation of this being a typical Darker and Edgier DCEU film before pulling a swerve. Hence the tense scene where Freddy claims the foster family is abusive, followed immediately by him laughing and saying he's just screwing with Billy.